Submitted by Rochester NY USAPA Ambassadors: Patrick Hotchkiss, Linda Palma and David Thomas

Competitive pickleball was introduced in January 2009 to the Rochester, New York area and has taken off from there.

Dave Thomas, a Physical Education teacher, had taught the game in the Greece Central School District for over 20 years, but it wasn't until Dick and Sandy Moyer approached the Westside "Y" administration in Rochester that there was an opportunity for adults (especially seniors) who wanted to play competitively to find a place - and other players, who shared their passion.

The initial group consisted of 6-8 "Newbies" who regularly met at the Westside Y three days a week.  Two of the players sported composite paddles as opposed to the wooden ones the rest were using. Curiosity led to discussions about paddles.  Dave remembered Pickleball.com.  He had met some of the Seattle group over 25 years before at the NYS Physical Education Conference held in Syracuse, NY.  Now that he was involved at this level, Dave joined the USAPA and volunteered to represent Rochester (West) as an ambassador.  Simultaneously, Linda Palma, a snow-bird, had discovered Pickleball at the Huntsman Senior Games in St. George, Utah.  Linda got "hooked" immediately and volunteered to become a Pickleball Ambassador for Rochester (East).  She wanted to be sure to be able to play when she returned to Rochester in the spring!

Linda and Dave started communicating.  Both were astounded to receive e-mails and phone calls from Arizona, California, Florida, South Carolina, and Utah inquiring about the status of pickleball in the Rochester area.   Many, like Linda, wanted to make sure that they would find opportunities to play when they returned from sunnier places both to the South and West.  Dave tells of receiving one e-mail from Arizona from his former 9^th grade soccer coach and Jr. College professor, Tom Wells, whom he hadn't seen in over 26 years!  They were both thrilled to reconnect and share "old times."

Dave noticed that the USAPA was offering $250 grants to promote Pickleball locally.  He applied and received the generous opportunity.  He purchased paddles, balls, paint, tape, rollers and brushes for laying out two outside courts in Churchville Park, where he is Supervisor of Recreation for the Town Of Riga (a suburb of Rochester.)

Linda and Dave joined forces with the newest Rochester (North) Pickleball Ambassador and snow-bird from Sebring, Florida, Patrick Hotchkiss, as well as pickleball enthusiasts Barbara Thulin and Jane and Fred Harvey. The efforts of this energetic group made a real impact.  The Rochester area  went from no public pickleball courts to courts available in Churchville (2), Henrietta (1), Irondequoit (2), Ogden (3), Parma (3), Sweden (1) and Webster (2).  Various private clubs also have courts.  In addition, this group has held clinics for town recreation departments, town senior citizen groups and school districts.

Rochester Ambassadors and pickleball enthusiasts have the following projects lined up for 2010:  two (2) pickleball courts will be resurfaced in Churchville Park;  one (1) indoor court will be included at the proposed Churchville Community Center;  two (2) pickleball courts will be resurfaced at Webster Park; two (2) new courts will be added at a Middle School in Webster.

In addition, a full contingent of players will attend the Empire State Games in Cortland, NY in June and the National Senior games at the Rochester Institute of Technology in October, 2010.  The Rochester group is also planning to host a pickleball tournament in conjunction with the Monroe County "Sports and Music Fest" to be held in July, 2010.

Pickleball in the Rochester NY areas has mushroomed over the last eleven months with lots of momentum for future growth.